633: To be continued tomorrow

There were no extra instructions, only two cold words.

"Boom...!!!"

In an instant, a thick energy beam with a diameter of a hundred meters erupted from the muzzle, tearing through the sky and carrying a world-destroying power as it sped toward the City Lord and the others over a hundred miles away.

Wherever the beam passed, the air was instantly ionized, emitting a piercing shriek. Space was easily sliced through like paper, leaving a long black trail, and even the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth was devoured and annihilated by this energy.

On the other side, after being alert for a moment, the City Lord and the others found that the surroundings remained silent. With no further anomalies in the world besides the residual energy aftershocks, the vigilance in their hearts gradually dissipated, and they breathed a complete sigh of relief.

"It seems they have truly left."

The City Lord rubbed his throbbing temples and spoke tiredly, the feeling of weakness from the exhaustion of his internal Spiritual Qi becoming stronger and stronger.

"We should also leave this place as soon as possible. First, find a safe place to recover our cultivation. Who knows if those 'starships' have any follow-up methods, or how many more of such monsters there are."

"The City Lord is right."

An Integration Stage Cultivator, whose sense of unease refused to go away, quickly agreed.

"This place is not suitable to stay for long; it is better to evacuate as soon as possible."

Just as the group turned around, preparing to flee into the distance... "Wait! Something's happening!"

The City Lord's expression changed drastically. His Mahayana Stage spiritual sense allowed him to instantly detect a destructive energy aura. The terror of that aura far exceeded any crisis he had encountered before, making his hair stand on end and his very Soul tremble.

"Something's wrong! Hurry, lea—!"

His warning had just left his mouth, unfinished, when the thick, deep-purple energy beam crossed the hundred-mile distance, instantly enveloping the area where they stood.

The speed was truly too fast, surpassing the reaction limits of Cultivators and moving so quickly that even space could not block it.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor was there any deafening roar; there was only an extreme, deep-purple light.

The moment they were enveloped by the beam, the City Lord and the several Integration Stage Cultivators didn't even have time to perform any defensive actions before their bodies began to decompose and annihilate at the atomic level under the terrifying energy of the Matter Disintegration Cannon.

Their Physical Bodies, spiritual power, and Divine Souls vanished completely from the world in an instant, leaving not a single trace behind.

The beam was fleeting, leaving only a brief black spatial rift in its place, which then slowly closed as if nothing had ever happened.

Only the scorched earth below that had been completely leveled, and the surviving Cultivators in the distance who were still in shock, witnessed this silent, absolute kill.

"Reporting to the Chief: all targets have been annihilated. The Matter Disintegration Cannon's attack effect meets expectations. We are withdrawing from the battlefield."

When the operator's report came through the Command Center, He Dong had already stood up and straightened his sleeves.

His gaze swept over the last set of data on the light screen, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes, and then he walked out of the Command Center without looking back.

This live test against Demon Suppressing City had allowed him to obtain sufficiently detailed data and information.

The combat power upper limits, defense thresholds, and spiritual power characteristics of Mahayana Stage and Body Integration Stage Cultivators, as well as the suppression effects of the power of rules and the killing efficiency of various weapons against Cultivators, were all accounted for.

With this data, the subsequent plans for the Cultivation World could be accelerated significantly.

Outside Demon Suppressing City, the living Cultivators froze in place, their pupils shrinking as they stared at the energy aftershocks that had not yet dissipated above the city. Their hands and feet were cold, and they even forgot to regulate their breathing.

The world-destroying scene from just now was etched into their eyes, shaking their Divine Souls. Their previous bravery and ferocity had vanished without a trace, leaving only a fear that reached their very marrow.

"Hea... Heavenly Tribulation?"

A low-level Cultivator with low cultivation spoke with a trembling voice, his teeth chattering so much he couldn't speak coherently.

"It's not a Heavenly Tribulation! It must be that mysterious force! Just what kind of terrifying existence is this?"

Another person spoke hoarsely, their eyes full of despair. Recalling how the Mahayana Stage City Lord of Demon Suppressing City didn't even have room to resist before being turned to ash, their heart turned cold.

The discussions were quiet and fearful; no one dared to speak loudly, and even moving their feet was done with caution, as if the slightest movement would draw that unknown killing force.

Just as the crowd was gripped by fear and confusion, standing frozen in place, the lined-up Imperial Soldiers had already taken action.

Their battle armor glinted coldly in the setting sun. With steady steps and no wasted movement, they picked up the Cultivators who had been restrained and lost their will to resist one by one, escorting them toward the Landing Craft moored nearby.

The hatches of the Landing Craft slowly closed, and the engines emitted a low hum as they broke through the air, flying toward the starships in the sky.

The escorted Cultivators looked ashen-faced but did not dare to struggle in the slightest. They did not know what awaited them and could only be taken away in silence.

The battle of Demon Suppressing City was not concealed at all. Those Cultivators who were lucky enough to survive and were not captured by the Imperial Soldiers spread what they had seen and heard like wildfire.

With Demon Suppressing City as the center, the news spread like a tide, and within just a few days, the entire Cultivation World was stirred up.

A mysterious force with world-destroying power was hidden within the Forbidden Ground. Their methods were a horror never before seen in the Cultivation World; even Body Integration and Mahayana Cultivators were powerless before them.

All major Sects and Hidden Families received the news. Amidst their shock and terror, they sent people to Demon Suppressing City to investigate, but they only saw a battlefield in ruins and that faint energy fluctuation. No one dared to approach a single step... The flying boat broke through the clouds, and the astral winds whistled past the gunwales, kicking up layers of white mist.

Lin Jing stood leaning against the railing, her fingertips pinching a lustrous communication jade slip. As the slip flickered with light, the message from her Sect was crystal clear, causing her beautiful brows to furrow imperceptibly, a trace of genuine surprise flickering in her eyes.

She hadn't expected the thunderous methods to be so swift. In just half a day, Demon Suppressing City, which had occupied the vicinity of the Forbidden Ground for hundreds of years, had disappeared.

"Elder Lin."

A steady voice came from behind her, carrying the unique pressure of a Mahayana Cultivator, though it was deliberately restrained for the most part.

Lin Jing turned around and saw an old man walking slowly toward her.

The old man was dressed in a dark-patterned brocade robe, with hair and beard as white as snow. His face was etched with deep wrinkles, but his eyes were bright and piercing. A faint spiritual power fluctuation surrounded him; he was the Grand Elder among the Core Elders of the Sect, and also a Mahayana Late Stage Cultivator.

He was toyed with a bodhi seed in his hand as his gaze fell on Lin Jing's face, his tone carrying a bit of sentiment.

"This Empire truly is a force passed down from ancient times; its foundation is indeed unfathomable. That City Lord of Demon Suppressing City was a solid Mahayana Middle Stage Cultivator, and he even had several Body Integration Stage Cultivators under his command, yet they couldn't even hold out for half a day."

Between his words, the Grand Elder could not hide a trace of wariness.

In the Cultivation World, when the Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors of the major Sects do not emerge, Mahayana Cultivators are existences standing at the top of the pyramid. Demon Suppressing City's strength was enough to intimidate a region, yet it was powerless before the Empire. This forced him to re-evaluate the terror of that mysterious force.

Lin Jing looked at this core pillar of the Sect, her tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable certainty.

"Grand Elder, the strength of the Empire is far beyond what we can imagine. The destruction of Demon Suppressing City is, to them, nothing more than a trivial matter not worth mentioning."

Her tone was too indifferent, as if she had long anticipated such a result, completely lacking the shock typical of an ordinary Cultivator upon hearing the news.

Hearing this, the Grand Elder's footsteps paused slightly, and a somewhat strange expression appeared on his face.

He stared at Lin Jing, his eyes that had seen through the world filled with inquiry.

"Elder Lin, the way you say that... makes it sound as if you are quite familiar with this so-called Empire?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jing's heart tightened slightly, and she subconsciously stopped talking.

When she heard the news just now, she hadn't managed to steady the waves in her heart for a moment. The understanding that had unconsciously leaked into her tone had actually been captured by the meticulous Grand Elder.

She was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled into a composed smile as she spoke clearly.

"Hahaha, the Grand Elder must be joking."

She didn't deliberately hide it, but instead followed the flow of the conversation.

"I had the honor of being among the first batch of Cultivators to contact them, and I even stayed at their base for a period of time. Naturally, I know some of the internal details that the outside world is unaware of."

Her words were half-true and half-false, explaining her 'familiarity' without revealing too much core information.

Lin Jing had her own plans.

Regardless, before long, when everyone enters the Forbidden Ground, no matter their status or cultivation level, they will all eventually become a part of the Empire.

Even if this Grand Elder has doubts now, he will eventually know everything in the future, so there was no need to go to great lengths to hide it now.

After hearing this explanation, the Grand Elder's brow furrowed slightly; clearly, the doubt in his heart had not completely dissipated.

He always felt there was more to Lin Jing's words. That certainty regarding the Empire was definitely not something one could have just by 'staying for a period of time.' It was more like... she was a part of that Empire herself.

But since Lin Jing was unwilling to say more, it wasn't convenient for him to press further.

In the Sect, every Elder has their own secrets. Moreover, Lin Jing had brought so many Potions to the Sect that her status was becoming increasingly respected; she surely had her own sense of propriety.

However, because of this question, the Grand Elder's heart felt even more heavy with curiosity and solemnity regarding the so-called 'Empire.'

The true strength of this ancient force was likely even more terrifying than he imagined.

He looked toward the horizon in front of the flying boat, which was faintly shrouded in mist. That was the direction of the Forbidden Ground, and a bit more caution and wariness appeared in his eyes.